The Hunter, Kim, who entered the dungeon first, nodded silently.
The distinct scent of insect secretion.
Kim had also recognized the theme of the dungeon through his sense of smell.
He had heard that the instructor was a woman, and it seemed that the deputy’s claim that she was talented wasn’t wrong.
For the contrary.
“Ugh, the smell.”
“Dungeons always have that awful stench.”
None of the new recruits could identify the theme of the dungeon. They simply pinched their noses and made faces of disgust.
“Alright, everyone! Proceed as you’ve been trained.”
Clapping his hands, Hunter Kim gave the order.
Only then did the new recruits of the Dawn Guild stiffen their faces and begin to move.
Kim Hunter briefly glanced at them as they slowly moved forward and then approached Si-Hyun.
“What rank is the guardian?” he asked.
“...C-rank,” Si-Hyun replied.
“Understood. Please ensure the students' safety, and I hope this becomes a meaningful experience for them.”
“Yes, understood.”
Si-Hyun responded politely, impressed by the respectful tone of the famous Hunter, who not only had a thoughtful demeanor but also displayed good manners.
Kim Hunter moved toward the new recruits.
Si-Hyun turned to her students.
“Let’s follow them.”
“Yes!”
The dungeon攻略 began.
And the battle broke out in an instant.
Da-da-da-da—
“Ant swarm!”
“The encounter’s too fast!”
“Maintain formation! Stay calm and engage!”
The new recruits from the Dawn Guild calmly began the fight.
Whoosh— Thud! Boom!
As the ants approached noisily, two hunters reduced their numbers from a distance.
Kieek!
The approaching ants were sturdily blocked by the front-line close-combat hunters.
They calmly reduced the number of monsters.
‘...There are far too many insects.’
Kim Hunter, who had assessed the situation, also helped the new recruits. A momentary thought of the worst-case scenario flashed through his mind, but it was still too early to be sure. For now, he focused on calmly resolving the current battle.
Once the battle was concluded, the supporters, including Yang Chae-Uk, who had been safely positioned at the back, healed the two close-combat recruits.
As the wounds on the bitten thigh were completely healed, the man smiled faintly.
“It's really great to have a supporter!”
“Of course! Haha!”
Yang Chae-Uk laughed heartily.
Having finished their task and taken a short break, the group hastened their steps again. However, just a few minutes later, another battle situation arose.
“Left flank! More ants!”
“Let’s do it like last time!”
The Dawn Guild hunters began fighting once more.
Kim Hunter joined the battle again.
The number of ants that kept appearing was simply overwhelming.
...And so, a few more battles ensued.
Kim Hunter pressed his temple with his index finger as he thought.
‘There’s probably a special variant.’
Si-Hyun, who had been observing from a distance, was already thinking the same.
“Everyone, don’t the monsters seem a bit much?” Si-Hyun asked.
“Yeah, yeah... Is this what a dungeon with insects is usually like?”
“It’s not always like this. Does anyone know how long ago the gate for this dungeon was opened?”
When Si-Hyun asked, Eunbyeol raised her hand to answer.
“Um... I think it was less than a week before the dungeon went into rampage mode.”
“Aha, that’s it.”
“Huh?”
“It’s been breeding for several weeks now.”
“......”
The students’ mouths went tight.
Si-Hyun smirked.
There were different types of ant monsters, but they had one thing in common.
Usually, a single ant wouldn’t be a problem. They were just large, strong insects.
But these ones never traveled alone.
They always moved in groups and had a command structure.
Given the sheer numbers, it was almost certain.
“Today, we’ll get to see the giant queen ant monster as the boss. This is a pretty rare monster, right?”
“Ugh... I’m not happy about that at all!”
Eunbyeol yelled in disgust, and Areum vigorously nodded in agreement.
Si-Hyun observed Jae-Woo, whose expression had completely hardened, before continuing her steps.
The new recruits from the Dawn Guild, now fully prepared, were setting off again.
And in the very next battle.
“Craaack! He-help me—!”
An accident occurred.
One of the ants that had secretly slipped away turned around and targeted Yang Chae-Uk, who was at the rear.
He couldn’t even resist properly.
He swung his staff but missed, and as he stepped back, the ant bit his ankle helplessly.
“Ughhh! Help!”
Yang Chae-Uk screamed in pain.
He tried to shake off the ant by striking its head with his staff.
However, the ant bit down hard on his ankle and wouldn’t let go.
“Gahh! Get off! Get off!”
“Damn it! I’m coming!”
Kim Hunter, having grasped the situation a bit late, quickly used his combat skills to sweep away the ants in front of him.
He then sprang into action, heading toward Yang Chae-Uk to help.
Areum, watching from a distance, grimaced slightly.
‘Is that... right?’
Areum watched Kim Hunter deal with the ants in an instant.
Finally freed, Yang Chae-Uk, tears and snot streaming down his face, began to treat his ankle.
He looked like someone who had never been in a dungeon before.
‘He’s so different from our professor...’
Was it because he was a newcomer?
...Though, he was still C-rank, right?
Even if he’s new to the Dawn Guild, a C-rank should have at least a year’s worth of experience as a Hunter.
For someone like that to be so helpless against a single ant?
Areum glanced at her professor, who was standing right next to her.
She recalled the professor’s cool-headed actions in the Undead Dungeon, effortlessly taking care of thieves.
At that time, Professor Jeong Si-Hyun had radiated a brilliance, as if she contained all the light in the world.
Areum turned her gaze back to Yang Chae-Uk.
The new recruits who had finished the battle were now approaching Yang Chae-Uk to apologize.
‘That’s a one-person supporter...?’
Areum looked back at her professor with a confused look in her eyes.
Si-Hyun, sensing her gaze, smiled, as if asking, “What’s wrong?”
She was reassuring. Truly shining!
‘I want to become like Professor Jeong Si-Hyun!’
Big goals! Great dreams!
I want to be like her—great, strong, cool, and shining!
Areum gazed at her professor with sparkling eyes and said,
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
She turned her head back to face forward.
Seeing her student’s mysterious behavior, Si-Hyun tilted her head and then glanced at the Dawn Guild members.
She lowered her hand that had been resting on her bracelet.
‘If it had been Kim Hunter in danger, I would have helped.’
But Yang Chae-Uk, she had no intention of helping.
You reap what you sow.
She wasn’t going to help someone who had shown such inconsiderate behavior from the start.
So, she merely prepared her dagger, making no move to intervene.
After seeing the new recruits’ fighting level, she figured it wasn’t an emergency for Yang Chae-Uk, even if he was bitten by an ant.
No one was faster at reading the situation than Si-Hyun.
Meanwhile, Kim Hunter was thinking.
‘This isn’t good.’
Even though he had joined the battle, an accident had occurred.
It was just a single ant, but an accident was still an accident.
The situation was clear.
‘This is a factory-type dungeon.’
In other words, a “plant”—a dungeon where monsters increase abnormally in numbers.
There was almost certainly a special variant responsible for the monster growth.
Kim Hunter, his face set in a hard expression, gave the new recruits a signal to regroup.
He then quickly approached those who had been observing from a distance.
“Everyone, the situation has become much more dangerous.”
The eyes of the four people focused on Kim Hunter.
“With me here, clearing the dungeon itself isn’t an issue. But I don’t think I’ll have the time to ensure the students’ safety. It’s unfortunate, but I recommend you leave quickly.”
After finishing his explanation, Kim Hunter looked at Si-Hyun.
She was the representative of the observers.
Si-Hyun met his gaze and, in turn, looked at Eunbyeol.
After all, she was the real focus of the observation.
‘She looks disappointed.’
In that case, they should continue the observation.
A true professor should fulfill the student’s desires.
Si-Hyun slowly opened her mouth.
“I will protect the students, so don’t worry.”
“...I’m not questioning your abilities. But the number of ants is just too much. This is practically a B-rank dungeon, despite it being classified as C-rank.”
“Thank you for your concern. But really, we’ll be fine.”
“Hmm...”
Kim Hunter observed Si-Hyun’s face.
Her expression had remained unchanged from the first time he saw her until now.
After a brief hesitation, he spoke in a heavy tone.
“Please take responsibility to ensure the students aren’t exposed to danger. If it becomes too dangerous, I’ll force an evacuation.”
“Yes, I promise. If that happens, I’ll follow your orders.”
“Good.”
Kim Hunter finally stepped back and headed toward the new recruits from the Dawn Guild.
Si-Hyun briefly watched his retreating figure before turning to her students.
“Alright, looks like you’ll just be observing after all.”
“...Were you planning on making us fight?”
“Well, if a good opportunity arises, why not?”
“....”
Eunbyeol looked at her professor in disbelief.
It was impossible to tell if the playful smile was genuine or not.
With a deep sigh, she said,
“We trust you, Professor, but not them. We’ll stay quiet.”
“Oh, you trust me?”
“You easily cut down trolls. Why even ask...?”
Eunbyeol spoke with a sense of disbelief, but there was an abundance of trust behind it.
Feeling this, Si-Hyun gave a faint smile.
At that moment, Jae-Woo, who had been quietly standing by, spoke up.
“They’re starting to move.”
“Shall we go, too?”
“Yes!”
Following the Dawn Guild members, Si-Hyun and her students quickened their pace.
From then on, battles continued to occur frequently.
The number of ants attacking didn’t decrease; if anything, it only grew.
Eventually, Kim Hunter adjusted the ranks of the new recruits and took the lead.
This significantly reduced the exposure of the rear party to the ants.
Though the support, despite being a C-rank, was still useful.
After each battle, the hunters of Dawn Guild healed their wounds, and the dungeon progress continued.
But the number of ants was overwhelming.
The fighting continued steadily, and soon, the ants began targeting the students.
“Professor! Over here!”
Da-da-da-da—
A swarm of ants climbed the cave walls, moving toward Si-Hyun and the students.
Kim Hunter, having taken down the ants in front, shifted his gaze to the side.
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He quickly assessed the size of the ant swarm.
‘...There are quite a lot.’
It was too many for a single C-rank Hunter to handle alone.
There were only three students, and they were all E-rank Hunters.
After a quick evaluation, he prepared to move toward them.
This time, he planned to help just once and then evacuate them.
At that moment, Si-Hyun and Kim Hunter’s eyes met.